Quality Press and Voter Turnout: Evidence for Causal Effects and Its Underlying Mechanisms

• In Event: Influencing the Vote

Abstract

Voting is a central aspect of political participation and thus an important activity for citizens to take part in the political process. It comes as no surprise that low and declining levels of turnout have been causing serious concerns. Although there seems to be a widespread agreement about the beneficial consequences of reading quality newspapers on turnout, there is a lack of empirical evidence. We investigated whether the reading of quality newspapers can increase turnout. In order to develop a more comprehensive understanding, we also investigated the mechanisms underlying this effect. We questioned whether efficacy, interest, knowledge, and distrust mediate quality newspapers’ impact on turnout. A panel study with two waves was utilized to assess the hypothesized effect and its underlying mechanisms in the run-up to the 2014 EU parliamentary election in Austria. We found that exposure to quality newspapers increased turnout and that efficacy and knowledge mediated this effect.

Authors

• Florian Arendt, LMU Munich

• Cornelia Brantner, U of Vienna